Opera Scotland

Peter Keenan Suggest updates

Conductor.

Peter Keenan studied composition, viola and piano at St Mary's Music School in Edinburgh, then read music at the University of York. During his time at York, his interest in conducting grew through his work with the contemporary music group the Chimera Ensemble. In his final year, Peter was appointed Music Director of the university's opera society, conducting staged performances of The Magic Flute. It was this that sparked Peter's fascination for the operas of Mozart, leading to the creation of Opera dei Lumi, and hopefully many more opportunities to explore these towering masterpieces.

After graduating, Peter co-founded the Milne Graden Chamber Orchestra with his younger brother. The orchestra quickly launched a Beethoven Symphony cycle. He is also conductor of the Edinburgh University Music Society's Sinfonia. In addition to his freelance conducting, Peter works as a music engraver for publishers.

Peter studies conducting with William Conway and has attended courses with Peter Stark. He worked as Assistant Music Director on Edinburgh Studio Opera's productions of Die Fledermaus and L'elisir d'amore under Will Conway. He then undertook postgraduate research at the University of Glasgow, exploring the relationships between tempo and proportion in Mozart's operas.